Sewa Panthi Sampradaye

Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh Sahib and the various Sampradas

Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, when he envisioned a Sikh nation, he envisioned the entire world as his realm, and not just a particular geographical area. Similarly, the All-Knowing Guru, in keeping with the traditional ways of the preceeding Gurus, knowing the core philosophies of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, envisioned an all-inclusive Sikh nation, rejecting the exclusive norms of other faiths. Understanding the ways of the Creator, he allowed some diversity and some distinguished ways within it, and personally and specifically blessed Nirmalas and Seva-Panthis. Earlier, Guru Ram Das Sahib honored and acknowledged Baba Sri Chand, founder of the Udaasi Samprada, as per Guru Nanak Dev Ji's blessing to Mata Sulakhni, for her sons. Again, Guru Hargobind Sahib, offered his eldest son Baba Gurditta and the father of Guru Har Rai Sahib, as successor to Baba Sri Chand.

These distinguished ways or paths are termed ‘sampardaya’ or 'samprada'. This term has, in the past, been wrongly mis-interpreted or conveyed to the public as ‘sects’ or a ‘cults’, terms that incorrectly imply deviation, arising from dissent with practised beliefs. The term samparda does not mean ‘sect’, but rather order, as in an order of monks. In this sense a sampardaya represents one among several mutually complementary orders. Each one of the major four traditional sampardas began with our Gurus blessings. There are five, traditional sampardas however, starting with the Nirmalas (spiritual scholars), Udasis (scholar mystics), Nihangs (warriors) and Sevapanthis (spiritual mystics serving humanity) and the lesser known Suthra Shahis started by Suthra Shah who was named and raised by Guru Hargobind Sahib.

Sampradaya can be interpreted as ‘tradition’ or a ‘religious order’. It signifies a spiritual or a monastic progression serving as a spiritual conduit via an organisation that lends perpetuity of religious identity. It is somewhat in contrast to other Indian Guru Lineages called paramparas, where by receiving an initiation into a parampara of a living guru, one belongs to a sampradaya. The sampradaya is — a succession of spiritual mentors who carry forward and further convey a religious order of holy men. Holy men belonging to particular sampradas follow their traditional way, hold on to their unique philosophies, as conveyed by a mentor to their successor, hence perpetuating their identity. Each successor, however, exercising discretion, does keep the organisation further evolving, while staying with the panthic norms and their tradtional ways.

Sevapanthi samprada comprises of holy men who are devoted to selfless service. The name Sevapanthi can be divided into two parts 'Seva' and 'Panthi'. Seva being selfless service and Panthi meaning someone who walks the path. Hence connoting someone who walks the path of selfless service.

Kanhaiya Lal becomes Bhai Kanhaiya

The Sevapanthi samprada started with the yearnings of a pious young man named Kanhaiya Lal, born to into a wealthy Dhamman Khatri family of Sodhra in Sialkot District (now in Pakistan). Not having any leanings toward leading a life of a householder, he left the comforts of an opulent home seeking the company of sadhus and saints, who could bless him with spiritual peace. He finally arrived at the feet of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib, who initiated him into the Sikh Panth. Bhai Kanhaiya Ji began to serve the Guru with loving devotion. Recognizing this, one day Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib, the inner-knower of hearts, blessed Bhai Kanhaiya with the priceless gift of Naam. Bhai Kanhaiya Ji then proceeded to set up a dharamsal at Kavha, in Attock district, presently in Pakistan where he started serving the local people and travellers, providing them with water, food and shelter and conveying the message of Guru Nanak Sahib to everyone that came to the dharamsal.

Many years later, in 1704, during the Battle of Anandpur, when Anandpur Sahib was besieged by the army of Mughal General Ramzan Khan and the Rajput (Hindu) Hill Chiefs, Bhai Kanhaiya naturally recognized his duties. He entered the battleground with no regard for his personal safety, serving water and giving first aid to the fallen and injured with no discrimination for friend or foe. Being a devout Sikh, he remembered the bani composed by the 5th Guru, Guru Arjan Dev in Raag Kanraa:

ibsir geI sB qwiq prweI ]

jb qy swD sMigq moih pweI ] 1 ] rhwau ]

nw ko bYrI nhI ibgwnw

sgl sMig hm kau bin AweI ]1] 8] pMnw 1299

Kaanraa, Fifth Mehla:

I have totally forgotten my jealousy of others,

since I found the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy. ||1||Pause||

No one is my enemy, and no one is a stranger. I get along with everyone. ||1||

Page 1299 of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib

This outraged some of the Sikh soldiers who witnessed his acts. They reported what they had seen (rather their opinions) to their superiors, who in turn brought the matter to Guru Gobind Singh Sahib's attention.

“The human spirit at Anandpur manifested its joyous spiritual energy in many ways. On every day that dawned there were new ideas in the very air, and the Khalsa crystallized in many shapes. The Sevapanthis, the Nirmalas, the Sahej-dharis, set forth new shining resolutions...Sevapanthis reserved themselves for the creed of service; later on they formed the first ‘Red Cross’ corps of Gobind Singh, serving friend and foe alike. They carried water on their backs in the battlefield, and held the bowl of mercy to the thirsty lips of the dying. They carried on (them) a stock of first aid, and gained special knowledge in surgery and medicine...” (Prof. Puran Singh, The Book of the Ten Masters, page 107-108)

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